Thank you also to the Urban Dictionary. You provide excellent advice about yoofspeak, and also LOLs

Thank you to the photocopier. No wait, scratch that. Photocopier - you have serious room for improvement in 2010.

Thank you to the downstairs couches, for being cushioned and comfy and a quiet place to read.

Thank you to the floor, for letting us lie on you when we need to.

Thank you to Degani on Albert Street, for caffeination, sandwiches, caffeination, hedgehog, caffeination, and pie.

Thank you to the Fitzroy Gardens, for offering a lovely green escape when we need to step outside to see the trees.

Thank you to the Melbourne weather, for dramatic and varied content opportunities.

Thank you to all our designers and typesetters - for making us look so good.

Thank you to all our proofreaders - for your ever-eagle eyes and excellent error-catching.

Thank you to our couriers of all denominations - for delivering our very important packages.

Thank you to our prepress and printers - for taking all the hard work and, by dint of more hard work, turning it into actual, real live beautiful books.

Thank you to the booksellers and librarians - for putting our books into the hands of the people for whom they were made.

Thank you to the readers of all our books. Yes, thank you, readers, read on.

Endless thanks to everyone in the Mothership and in the House - for your support, your help, your humour, your wisdom and your general excellence.

Thank you to the Cake-maker in Chief, and everyone else who baked up a storm of goodness this year. SO MUCH CAKE!

Thank you to everyone who has commented here, or just read Alien Onion in the last year. We've had great fun rambling on about stuff and items. And it has given us such a thrill to catch a glimpse of the wider community of kids-book-minded people.

But the biggest thanks of all is reserved for our wonderful authors and illustrators - you are the reason we are all here. We are so proud to publish each and every one of you. Your words and your art inspire us, challenge us, make us laugh, weep, stomp, curse and sing.

THANK YOU!

Alien Onion is taking a little break. We'll be back after January 5th - full of fresh ideas (and too much food, no doubt).

Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!

* Yes, we know it's not harvest time in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a symbol, people. We are being symbolic.

15 December 2009

And it came to pass in those days that the blog mistresses issued a decree that the blog should have a banner.

And the proclamation went out in the land.

And so it was that the editors, tending their books by night, were disturbed by a commotion on the stairs. And they were sore afraid.

But an artist appeared before them and said, 'Fear not, for glad tidings of great news I bring (and also some awesome artwork).'

And the artist removed the artwork from its swaddling paper and laid it on a scanner.**

And suddenly, a great company of editors and publishers were singing, 'Glory to Terry Denton in the highest. And in East Melbourne peace among women (and Bruno).'

And SC and JW treasured up all these things and pondered them in their hearts and were grateful.

Behold:

(Click image to enlarge.)

Look! Look! It's the cathedral! It's the lights of the MCG! It's the Fitzroy gardens! And it's all manner of other wonderful items: tucked away in trees, hoisted by a crane, emblazoned across trucks and dirigibles. There is even punctuation in there, people!

It is truly a wonder.

Thank you very very much, Mr Denton.

Much love,

Onions

*You can read the proper New International edition here. Or the proper proper King James edition here.

** Actually the good gentlemens at Splitting Image laid the artwork on the scanner, and brought unto life a fine digital image. Glad tidings unto them.

11 December 2009

Here is the Guardian's take on the books that have defined the decade. How many have you read?

Get a Grip

This is far and away the best/most hilarious thing to come out of the Tiger Woods scandal*. (Promise.) Now, how best for our marketing department to replicate this for one of our books, I wonder...

Huzzah!

Launched in very fine style last night by the incredibly dashing Bernard Caleo, was Tango squared. The Tango Collection and Tango 9 Love & War. We don't have any launch photos (yet) so you'll have to content yourselves with some sightings of The Tango Collection in the wild...

Free range

Speaking of 'in the wild'. Look, look who has escaped the printed page! At this time of year, Mr Chicken must be very glad he's not Mr Turkey.

Simultaneous Love**

A very special event is taking place in the House of Onion and the Mothership this afternoon. At the end of the working day, we are downing tools for a simultaneous screening of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Our film-tie in edition is out in the world (with the cute-as-Christmas Michael Cera gracing the cover), but most of us have never seen the movie. A situation that will be remedied in both Houses of Onion at 5pm today. CANNOT WAIT! (Just kicking myself that I didn't wear my Where's Fluffy t-shirt to work today. )

09 December 2009

This is a question we get asked all the time. Editing is a behind-the-scenes sort of job, so it's not surprising that it's a little impenetrable.

To make it even more difficult, the role of in-house editor can differ quite a lot from publisher to publisher. And it's totally different again at newspapers and journals. All we can do is report how it is at the House of Onion.*

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Do you do the big picture story stuff? Yes. Yes, we do. That's structural editing.

Do you do the sentence structure and wordy stuff? Yes. That's copy-editing. Our old friend.

Do you edit on hard copy or on-screen? A little from column A; a little from column B.

Do you check facts? Yes, Ma'am! That's part of copy-editing. (Or sometimes its own special stage - or was, back BI [before internet] when people, you know, published non-fiction.)

Do you proofread? Not the books we're working on, if we can help it. We're too close to the to text to have the fresh eyes needed to spot mistakes. [What do you mean there is an extra 'to' in that sentence?]

Do you use a red pen? Only when we proofread.

Do you meet with authors? Yes. (Except when they live in Spain, and for some unfathomable reason the company won't fly us over there. Sigh.)

Do you sign up books? Commissioning editors do - but that's mostly the role of the publisher.

Do you read manuscripts before they are signed up? Often, but not always. It can be useful for the publisher or commissioning editor to have several opinions on a manuscript.

Do you have anything to do with the cover? Yep, we brief the designer (and sometimes do photo research, and more photo research, and more...) and work with them until we get a cover that pleases us, the author, the publisher and the marketing department. (Hoo boy.)

Do you typeset the book? Not usually - that's what the designer or typesetter does. (But sometimes...)

Do you eat cake? OSC.**

Ok, sure, but... what do editors actually, you know, DO all day? Well, the answer is nuanced, complex, and involved... so the obvious thing to do is explain it in lolcats.

Herewith, the first in an occasional series: What Do Editors Do All Day?

* One Onion recently watched The Proposal (for professional development purposes only) to find out what book editors do in other Houses. However, it became clear that book editing is indeed a mysterious business, as when the protagonist book editor is asked the question - 'What does a book editor do?" - she never actually gets the opportunity to reply.**[Out See Copy] Perhaps we don't need to spell this out? Let's trust the reader. Answer has been previously foreshadowed.

07 December 2009

Here we are at our last Very Onion Christmas list. So we've decided to throw in two categories for the price of one*

GraphicNovels

Hero of Little Street by Gregory RogersAn art gallery, a furry friend, a portal painting, seventeenth-century Delft, a chase scene and smallgoods! Everything a good story needs! When an art-gallery-hiding-place offers a more intriguing escape than any boy expects, high adventure ensues. A hilarious graphic novel for younger readers that is the perfect way to introduce 6-10 years olds to the grand art of visual storytelling.

We've talked about Scarygirl until we are PMS 806 in the face. That is because she is awesome.

This book could easily have gone in the younger readers or YA sections. I'm reliably informed by my favourite primary school teacher that, despite the pink, even tough football boys love Scarygirl. She's also perfect for the 20-something hipster in your life.**

The Great Gatsbyby Nicki Greenberg (pb edition)Gatsby as a (mysterious) seahorse. Daisy as a (flighty) dandelion-bird creature. And watching over them, Nick with his sensitive antenna attuned to all the excesses, the lies, the desperation and the dangerous infatuations around him. Compelling and tragic, F. Scott Fitzgerald's unforgettable novel is re-imagined in a superb graphic novel format. A sepia-toned triumph for Gatsby fans of all ages. Companion-gifting idea: Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington1920s jazz recordings. Sure to be a hit.

The Silence by Bruce MutardArt, life, truth. Three little words. So much to talk about. So many questions to consider. Will Choosy track down her mystery artist? Will Dmetri overcome his artistic demons? And what is going on with the amazingly alluring artworks at the prayer house? The Silence: not as quiet as it sounds; not as black & white as it looks. Wrap it with creative flair for the artist or art-lover in your life.

This is like 50 presents in one, because over 50 of Australia's best comic creators contributed to this collection. It is a smorgasboard, a spree, a nosh-up for the senses. The recipient will be feasting on it for days and days - just like Christmas lunch.

'Maralinga - the Anangu Story is our story. We have told it for our children, our grandchildren and their children. We have told it for you.' This is the story of the Anangu people of South Australia; it's the story of British Nuclear testing on Anangu lands; it's a story of sadness, grief, survival and hope. It's a story that all Australians should know. And it's a beautiful book. Age range: 10-14, and grown-ups.

If you haven't read this already, you might have heard the radio documentary, or seen the film, because the story Fuimko Ishioka, the head of the Holocaust Education Resource Centre in Tokyo, and her search for the owner of the small battered suitcase emblazoned with the words Hana Brady, Waisenkind, and the story of Hana and her brother George continues to inspire people all over the world to retell it again and again. It's incredibly sad and moving - but also full of hope. Ages range: 10-14

Ok, so we don't usually quote from the back cover copy, but in this case, the blurb is so bang-on that we could write for a hundred years and not distill this remarkable book any better: 'All through his growing-up years, John Danalis's family had an Aboriginal skull on the mantelpiece; yet only as an adult did he ask where it came from and whether it should be restored to its rightful owners. This is the compelling story of how the skull of an Aboriginal man, found on the banks of the Murray River over 40 years ago, came to be returned to his Wamba Wamba descendants. It is a story of awakening, atonement, forgiveness and friendship. Part history, part detective story, part cultural discovery and emotional journey, this is a book for young and old, showing the transformative and healing power of true reconciliation.' Enough said. Read it. Age range: 14+ and definitely adults.

*And given that one category comes at the grand cost of $0.00, this is a huge bargain. I mean, that's just good maths.

** If you have one of these, please tell them to wear a bike helmet when they ride around North Fitzroy. Thanks.

This book grabs you by the heart and then, ever-so-gently, starts to squeeze. There is war and its aftermath, there is intensely real world building, but more than that there are characters that stay with you long after you've put the book down. Oh, Cam Attling - I think I'm in love.

Micah Wilkins is a liar. Micah Wilkins is not just an unreliable narrator, she is the monarch of unreliable narrators. She with tell you the truth. Then she will tell you the true truth. Then she will tell you the real actual truth. And she will ask you to trust her. And you will. But she's a liar. If you haven't read it, don't dip into it as you prepare to wrap it. Micah will wrap her lies around you until your head spins and your gifts will remain unwrapped until you finish. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Ava Simpson, on the other hand, is trying to be true to herself. She's just not sure what being true to herself means. But she's determined to find out. And, as Simmone Howell says, her efforts to do so are 'ouch-sharp' and 'cringe-in-corners funny'. Even the proofreader of this book was often derailed by laughter. Perfect for the teenage girl in your life - or the one who never quite left your heart.

There is so much Moorehawke love in the House of Onion. Really, it has everything you could want: intrigue, suspense, romance, family drama, royalty court shenanigans, fighting, honour, cats. It's for boys and girls. The only shame is that at some point you reach the end. But then you realise there are two more books to go (Book II Crowded Shadows is out in Jan!) and you can breathe again.

The Devil You Know by Leonie Norrington88 is angry. 88 is Damien's father. 88 is coming home.'Run! You idiot! Run!Leonie Norrington's writing is exceptionally vivid. Michael Camilleri's illustrations are incredibly compelling. Together they tell the funny, moving and sometimes terrifying story of a boy's fight to live with the violence at home and at school; a story of how he and his peers survive against all odds. This book will break your heart, and also fill you with hope and optimism. (A bit like Christmas really.)

This book is absolutely beautiful, and absolutely heartbreaking. It's the sort of book you could give to your teenager or your mother. I mean... Clementine thought her cousin Fan's house in the country had a special smell: of sun and dust and kerosene and the wild honey they ate for breakfast on their toast. But then there were the feelings: the anger that smelled like iron and the disappointment that smelled like mud.

You could choose any book in this series for your favourite 13-17 year-old girl who loves stories about real girls, stories with heart and brain and guts. (And she doesn't even have to go all the way to the Emerald City!) Ruly truly good reads.

We've been on the incredible cover journey; we've had the honour of the author dropping in for a chat. Now, for your Christmas delight, here is A Croc Called Capone wherein you'll meet the charmingest, most mobster-accented croc ever - and even better, he's accompanied by Blacky, the famously foul farting dog, and his long-suffering human friend Marcus!

This is such a lovely book. It's a bit sad and wistful, a bit wry and funny, a whole lot heartwarming - and there's even a Christmas in it. Perfect holiday reading, particularly for those who like some time-slip adventure in the mix. And just look at that gorgeous cover!

One of the nicest things among the many many nice things about this book is how very Melbourne it is. Sunny and her loveable, messy, odd-bod family have left Elwood for a mansion on the Yarra river - but that hasn't reined in the mayhem. On the contrary. Hooray!

In America they're calling this, The Boy Who Could Fly. For those children of the 80s - need we say more?! Well Margaret Mahy (Margaret Mahy!!!) did say more: 'This is a rich fantasy - alive with original twists, surprises and mysteries which I dare not reveal. Children's literature is about to be enriched with a new classic.'

If you are one of those families that has lots of kids of different ages and you read aloud to all of them at once, then this is the perfect book for you. (Also, can I come and live with you?) It's thoughtful and funny and raises big questions. As Agnes Nieuwenhuizen said, it's 'A truly special book. Kate de Goldi's dazzling writing will break your heart and make you wonder, marvel and laugh all at once.'

One girl - could she be the last girl alive? One boy, pursued by reckless men who have kidnapped him. OMG read it; read it right now. (How could you not, with a hook like that?) Very clever Kirsty has managed to write a book that is thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating but also a read-til-you-drop adventure. If you don't want to see your child (or your sibling) for the whole of Christmas day, give them this and wave them goodbye until they've turned the last page.

The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. (Lord Sunday - the final book - is out in February. Squeeeeal! If you haven't read this series, you've got all of the summer holidays to read Mister Monday through Superior Saturday. Get on it!) Ages: 10+

Lili Wilkinson is celebrating her NANOWRIMO victory with what looks to be a rawther beautiful advent candelabra arrangement.

AND KAREN HEALEY IS GIVING THE GIFT OF A CHRISTMAS STORY. Yes - you read that correctly. Go and sign up by December 7 and she will email you a story on December 25. Hark! Great tidings! Joy to the world!

The Cheer is out there, people. Go forth and embrace it.

Stay tuned for gift recommendations for young readers later in the day.

01 December 2009

It's 1 December - time to start opening your advent calenders, putting up your Christmas decorations*, and thinking about what to buy for your nearest and dearest.

And the good news is, we're here to help with that last item.**

Every day for the rest of this week we're going to be posting a list of our recommendations for Christmas book-buying. The lists will be organised primarily by age-group. We're very proud of the books we've published this year - and we want to send them all to good homes underneath the right Christmas trees, where they will be loved and petted and exercised regularly.***

Did you know that editors actually have to DO the games and puzzles in books to make sure they work? That's right, we were paid to make sure Tashi can make it through the mazes (He can - if you help!), that you really can make the dragon yourself (You can - he's beautiful!), that the Baron really did hide his gold (He did, but can you find it?). The Amazing Tashi Activity book is full of things like new Tashi stories, recipes, word-finds and a board game. A board game! People, this is like 17 Christmas presents in one.

They've been to the beach, the bush and the city and now Henry, Penny, Frankie, Mum and Dad are taking the big trip from Tassie to the Top End.

Roland Harvey books were Christmas favourites with many of the Onions when they were little.**** So it's very exciting to have a brand new adventure to stuff stockings with this year. While you're at it, check out Roland Harvey's Big Book of Christmas for lots of making and doing and singing and eating ideas.

Hush, says the seashore. Shh, says the sea. How many hermit crabs can you see?

If you know a small person who is just the right age for a counting book, then this is perfect. It's beachy and summery and bright and rhyming. No snowy fields and deciduous trees over here, thank you very much.

Mannie, her doll, Strawberry Luca, and her favourite elephant, Lilliput, are going on an adventure. It's a sparkling adventure, and you'll want to go too. This is a lovely, gentle book - especially good for thoughtful girls.

27 November 2009

1) It's cake season in the House of Onion at the moment,* and even though the Cake-maker Extraordinaire flies (waddles?) with a different flock these days, she's still exerting her influence around here.

The Cake-maker-in-Chief recently discovered an unexpected envelope in her in-tray. At first she thought it might be a surprise book contract, but no. It was a recipe and an instruction about whose birthday said recipe would suit. The recipe included the preparation of sugared rosemary. Yes, dear reader, sugared rosemary. Who thinks of these things? It also featured oranges asimmer, hazelnuts aroasting and Grand Marnier aplenty.

We are delighted to inform you that the Cake-maker-in-Chief executed this recipe with SUBLIME results. SUBLIME. Wish you were here.

2) It's also the busy season. There are still 11 books to go to the printer from the House of Onion before Christmas. (Hoo boy - that looks really scary in print, so we're just going to make the font really tiny.) Clearly the only thing to do is watch YouTube videos, like this one:

*Isn't it always.**In the interests of fair and transparent representation of the House of Onion as a whole, we need to note that E - of E-cake fame - does not find pictures of cats with poorly spelled captions amusing.

5: A whole day of lively discussions at an in-house editorial conference* that featured Sydney Onion colleagues, structural and copy editing workshops from delightfully clever freelance editors, a fascinating author-editor talk and a cookbooks session that had us completely engaged despite it being the very end of a long day of lively editorial discussions. (Did you know you shouldn't fry your onions in Extra Virgin olive oil? Regular old olive oil is much better, apparently.)

6. Pork Belly and Creme Brulee.

7. This.

8. This.**

9: Lightning, thunder, rain.

10: Flight delays, flight delays, flight delays (adult beverages).

* Thanks to AN for her brilliant editorial-conference wrangling, and to AL, N'OS, LG, SB and JV for generously visiting their knowledge and skills upon us.

**Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, as a sun-protection device, didn't work nearly as well as a hat would have. Did you know you shouldn't fry your Onions out in the sun for too long in the heat of the day without properly slip, slop, slapping?

18 November 2009

But, as ever, we made time for cake. And, in honour of the birthday Onion, it was an E-cake, full of chocolately goodness and swarming with summer berries. Nom. Nom. Nom.*

Unsurprisingly an E-cake is not much like an e-book at all, and definitely more pleasing to the taste buds.**

* Happily we also discovered iced e-hole items in the kitchen for later consumption.** Much kudos to the Cycling Cake-maker who prepared the cake at home, packed it snugly into her bike panniers and navigated the smoothest path to work, all with great success.

06 November 2009

Here are some things that are going on around the House of Onion today:

1) A blurb is being written for Lord Sunday, the last book in the epic Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. But how to whip up a frenzy of excitement without GIVING ANYTHING AWAY?

2) The covers of the Little Else series are being tweaked to get the colours of the three books in balance so they have the same ‘weight’ next to each-other on the shelf.

3) Huge and unwieldy (but exciting) test proofs are being checked for The City, a new picture book by Armin Greder. To varnish or not to varnish? That is the question.

4) Our 2010 publishing list is being discussed with our Rights & International Sales Director in preparation for the Bologna Children's Book Fair (Just quietly: it's awesome, she's awesome, and we are geniuses). On the other hand, piles of manuscript submissions from the Frankfurt Bookfair are threatening to swamp us.*

5) Our February New Books brochure is being sent to Booksellers. February, already!

6) A picture-book text is being wrangled into shape with an author who's roaming the country (last week in Western Australia, next week Queensland), a co-author, an editor and a designer in Melbourne, an artist in London, and a ticking clock...

5) Karen Healey is revealing the secret to being published. As workshopped by a distinguished panel of authors, editors, publishers and experts.

6) And Kate Constable is sharing the love for ballet books. Hitch up your tutu, tighten the ribbons on your pointe shoes, pull your hair into a bun and pirouette on over to tell her which ones were your favourites.

* Oh no - that publisher is drowning, not waving!** Richard Parker may well be slouching at his end of the little boat, but will there be dragons?

04 November 2009

Whether or not the Melbourne Cup is really the race that stops a nation is up for debate.

But one thing that's guaranteed is that a large portion of the population of Melbourne came into contact with at least one of these things yesterday:

champagne

sour glances from old timers at the TAB

chicken sandwiches

sunburn

sore feet

barbequed meat

fascinators

Bart Cummings's eyebrows

So in celebration here is a list of horsey books*:

1) My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara

All the horsey girls in school raved about this one, which was an immediate turn-off for at least one Onion. But contrary to expectation, it turned out to be not insipid at all. It's all about boys and ranching and the big Wyoming sky. And barbed wire. Barbed wire is bad. But all's well that ends well (after almost ending very badly).

2) The Billabong books by Mary Grant Bruce

Everyone on Billabong station eats, sleeps and breathes horses. They are the lifeblood of the big Victorian cattle farm, and anyone who can't ride gets scornful looks and very short shrift. (Unless, of course, they are brave and quick learners.) But of all the horsiness in all the many books, the moment burned in our memories is when Norah's beloved grey pony Bobs dies in her arms - having been ridden literally to death by the hateful city cousin Cyril (boo, hiss). Oh, Bobs, faithful and valiant to the end.**

3) The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell

This and Black Beauty are the only books actually from the point of view of the horse on this list. (Although the Silver Brumby's not in the first person... snort, whinny.) Who didn't want to be a wild brumby running free in the mountains? Although, come to think about it, maybe not so much with all the fighting to protect your mares and foals from other scary stallions.

4) These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

When Laura becomes engaged to Almonzo Wilder, her ma asks her if it's really Almonzo that Laura loves and not his beautiful horses (particularly the matching brown Morgans, Prince and Lady). To which Laura responds that she couldn't have one without the other. There are sleigh rides and buggy rides and taming of wild colts aplenty in this the last of the Little House on the Praire books. (Can we also just point out that this is the cheesiest cover of this book we've ever seen. Where is the one with the horse and sleigh?)

5) Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Surely nobody needs a reminder about this one. Suffice it to say: *Sob* Ginger *Sob sob* (What is it about horses and dying?)

6) The Good Master by Kate Seredy

Cousin Kate from Budapest is headstrong and disobedient and has a desperate love of sausages. But there's nothing like a bit of responsibility and the love of a good horse to tame a wild child. The scene when Kate is given the beautiful and spirited Milky for her very own (after she'd learned to ride on 'Old Armchair'), is funny and warm and touching and... and... I can't tell you how much I love this book.

Horses! Best friends! Adventures! Who could resist? Alison Lester knows all these horses personally, which is why they feel so real. There is an unconfirmed report that the editor of this book keeps a bucket of chaff under her desk, just in case.

Are there any horsey books you love (or hate) that we've missed?

*Caution there are spoilers, but most of these are classics and we reckon there's a statute of limitation on spoilers.

** And here we pause to remember Tamburlaine, ridden to death by Dominic, the intense, proud boy who loved him (confirming to his family that he was indeed A Difficult Young Man).